Tranquillity
by ChronicLegCramp-Since'99
Summary: The A-Side of Everything Changes (originally I wasn't going to put this up). Minato and Ryoji meet...Minoji. Rated M just in case. Please enjoy!


**Tranquillity**

**A Persona 3 One-Shot by ChronicLegCramp-Since'099**

Pairing: Minoji

*Disclaimer: Persona 3 and all its characters do not belong to me*

* * *

Minato didn't quite know what it was that he was feeling, but as he met the new transfer student's gaze, he knew he was feeling it too.

"Have we…met before…?" Ryoji Mochizuki murmured slowly, smiling even as his dove-blue eyes searched Minato's face.

"I don't think so…" the blue haired boy answered, shifting from foot to foot, feeling uncomfortable. He wasn't lying- as far as his memory could serve, he had never seen the boy before- and yet he felt a tightening in his throat and his heartbeat had become sporadic. Ryoji looked doubtful for a split second and then his face cleared.

"Well, anyway…maybe we can hang out some time," Minato found himself agreeing, although he was distracted by a flash of striped pyjamas across his vision. "See you around then," Ryoji brushed past the persona-user on his way out of the classroom and the strange feeling intensified. Invisible forces propelled him forward a step, in the direction of the mysterious boys retreating back. It was as if a rope had been tied around Minato's waist and someone had tugged on it. He wasn't feeling well, so he decided to go home early.

* * *

The journey back was tedious and Minato's thoughts were plagued by the striped pyjamas that he couldn't seem to place. He suppressed a sigh of relief when he walked through the front doors of the dorm, but the lifting of his tension was short lived.

"S'up, dude?" Junpei called from where he was lounging on a sofa, watching TV. But that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. What _was_ out of the ordinary was that he was joined by a yellow-scarved boy, whose full attention was now on Minato. For a moment, the stripes were everywhere, clouding his sight and then he was snapped out of it by Aigis' sudden presence at his side.

"Greetings. Is there anything I can do for you?" the humanoid inquired, seeming a little more than on edge. Minato turned towards her, rummaging through his brain for a normal response. However, they were interrupted by the soft tones of Ryoji.

"Hello, Minato," the person in question had no choice but to face the boy with the swept-back, black hair, who was approaching him. "Junpei and I were just watching TV. Are you busy?" Minato could sense Aigis quietly seething beside him, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Ryoji to see if she was alright.

"Yes," he began, still trying to come up with a good enough excuse to disappear upstairs to his bedroom. Fortunately, his baseball cap-wearing classmate jumped into the conversation then.

"Hey man, you don't look too good,"

"Are you feeling unwell?" Ryoji asked, concern darkening his features as he moved closer to the blue haired boy.

"I'm…tired," Minato said eventually, before stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets and walked to the stairs.

"Get some rest- I wanna do some training tomorrow!" he heard Junpei shout, though he was more aware of a certain pair of eyes boring into the back of his head.

"Training?"

"Oh er…me and Minato, we er…I'm teaching him how to play baseball…" the sounds of Junpei and Ryoji's voices faded as the blue haired boy climbed the stairs to the first floor. He didn't notice Aigis following after him until he reached his bedroom.

"It's alright, Aigis. You don't have to stay with me," Minato mustered his most convincing smile as he took in the humanoids clenched jaw and fists.

"If you are sure…" she replied hesitantly, backing up. "Only, I feel uneasy leaving you alone while Ryoji Mochizuki is here." Minato raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to ask why, but Aigis had already spun around and walked back down the hall in her usual clunky way. Shaking his head slightly so that locks of his sapphire coloured hair fell into his eyes of the same colour, he entered his room and closed the door behind him. He instantly began to feel better- as if he could breathe properly again- so after kicking off his shoes, hanging his school blazer over the back of his chair and removing his tie, he sat down to do some studying.

* * *

Minato had had his head buried in books for an hour and a half, when there was a meek knock at his door. Without thinking, he got up to answer it. He wished he hadn't.

"Minato, I hope I'm not disturbing you…?" Ryoji said, a friendly smile gracing his lips; the blue haired boy was seeing stripes again, making him dizzy. He staggered as his senses dimmed, just about registering two firm grips on his shoulders. In one part of his mind, Minato knew- although he didn't know how he knew- that someone was helping him to his bed, laying him down and pressing a cool palm to his forehead. But in another part of his mind, where he was right then, he was lost in a fog, where the only visible thing was the black and white striped floor moving beneath his feet.

Minato wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious when he came to, but further speculation of that dissolved when he opened his eyes. Ryoji was sitting on the edge of the persona-users bed, clutching his hand in his own and staring at him in an unnerving way.

"…Ryoji?" Minato broke the silence and the strange transfer student seemed to realise belatedly that he was in fact, awake; at the back of the blue haired boys mind, he felt like he should be calling the black haired boy something else. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Ryoji informed him, letting go of his hand and moving down to the end of the bed, hands braced either side of himself and his eyes never leaving Minato's. Minato pulled himself up into a sitting position, knees drawn up, as the stifling atmosphere started to get to him. When he glanced up at Ryoji again, he looked peculiar- halfway between fright and confusion. "Minato…have you ever…?"

"What?" the blue haired boy prompted cautiously, his heart fluttering as he got caught in the transfer students dove blue irises. Ryoji's eyes glazed over briefly and then he shook his head, looking down at the floor.

"Nothing…I'm not even sure what I was going to say," he hastily dismissed, the carefree smile soon returning to his face. "What is wrong with me today…?" he murmured to himself, before looking back up at Minato. Time seemed to slow down and Minato found himself looking at a different Ryoji- in the exact same position, but dressed in a pair of white and navy striped pyjamas. As if by the flick of a switch, the blue haired boy was once again looking at the real Ryoji, who was now fiddling with one of the straps of his braces, with a faraway expression on his pale face.

_'Have you sat there before…?'_ Minato found himself thinking, even as he started to become self-conscious about Ryoji being alone with him in his bedroom. He wasn't entirely sure what had brought on the wave of embarrassment, but luckily the black haired boy wasn't focused on him anymore.

"Was there something you wanted?" he asked after a pause, glancing at the clock on his bedside table that told him it was 19:03. The transfer student raised his head, quickly getting to his feet.

"Nothing, I just came to check if you were okay," he replied brightly, before glancing away as a rosy blush lit his cheeks. "I was worried…" he admitted, hiding the bottom part of his face in his scarf and placing a hand awkwardly on his hip. Minato stood up, feeling his own face heat up, although he didn't know why.

"I probably haven't been getting enough sleep, with all the studying," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck and looking anywhere but at Ryoji. Both of them were startled then, by a harsh, loud bang on the door.

"Are you alright?!" it was Aigis, tone screaming anxiety. The transfer student saw Minato roll his eyes, a genuine smile turning up the corners of the blue haired boy's mouth. As Ryoji returned the gesture, Minato felt a warm glow emit from within his chest. The familiar signal that he'd formed a social link surprised him and he momentarily forgot about Aigis calling through the door, voice becoming more and more insistent.

"I'll see you at school, Minato," Ryoji gave him a toothy smile and then headed out of the room. The persona-user glimpsed the daggers the humanoid was shooting the transfer student with her eyes, as he placed a hand over his heart, looking on in wonder.

* * *

It was a couple of days later when Minato finally submitted to seeking out the transfer student. He wasn't hard to find. Junpei, having taken it upon himself to become Ryoji's new best friend had brought him back with him to the SEES dorm again. However, the black haired boy was on the first floor, sitting opposite Yukari, who was trying to appear unaffected by the attention.

"Oh hey, Minato, I thought you had Photography Club today?" the caramel haired girl said, looking guilty for reasons Minato couldn't fathom.

"I…wasn't in the mood," he replied, gaze moving to Ryoji who was looking at him with a mildly, hopeful expression on his face.

"Do you want to study together?" he asked, already walking towards the blue haired boy.

"Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to see a movie…?" Minato said, immediately blushing and breaking eye contact.

"Hey, why don't we all go?" Yukari stepped in, looking at the blue haired boy eagerly. "I'm sure Junpei and Fuuka will come," before he could say anything, Yukari announced that she was going to tell the others and hurried downstairs. Minato was unable to prevent the sigh that escaped his mouth and heard Ryoji chuckle in response.

"You know, I think she has a crush on you," he told Minato, ruffling his hair; for a second the persona-user struggled between annoyance and wanting to smile. "What, you don't like her?"

"I've never thought about it," Minato answered honestly, hooking his thumbs into his pockets.

"Seriously?" Ryoji raised his eyebrows, stepping closer to him and lowering his voice. "Is there no one you like? What about Mitsuru-sempai?" the blue haired boys face reddened and he felt acutely aware of the space separating them- or lack there of.

"What about her?" he hedged, finding it hard to breathe. Ryoji seemed to remember himself then and an apologetic smile formed on his face.

"I'm sorry- I shouldn't be so nosy," Minato felt a pressure in his chest, probably due to the sincerity behind Ryoji's words, but he regretted skipping Photography Club all the same.

* * *

For the rest of the evening Minato's new acquaintance stuck close, which he couldn't decide whether he was happy about or not. In the end, only Minato, Ryoji, Yukari and Aigis went to the cinema; the film showing was a horror. Minato sat in between the black haired boy and caramel haired girl and more than once was sent a grin of encouragement from Ryoji whenever Yukari got scared and clung to his side. He couldn't help but notice Aigis watching Ryoji like a hawk, but the latter didn't seem to mind- that, or he'd gotten used to it.

Afterwards, the blue haired boy invited the transfer student to stay at the dorm, which the humanoid objected to, but Ryoji agreed to. Minato and Ryoji lingered behind the girls on the journey back, mostly talking about the film. The blue haired boy glanced sideways at the black haired boy, who had grown quiet and thoughtful.

"Everything okay?" he said, eventually; Ryoji smiled at him automatically, trying to lighten the weird mood that had descended upon them.

"I had fun tonight. We should hang out more often," he told Minato, ignoring the question. "Only if you'd like to though…" he added, looking uncertain for the first time since they'd met.

"Sure," Minato nodded, having already predicted the warmth that passed through them in response to his answer. Ryoji slept in one of the spare rooms that night and it lifted Minato's spirits to see him at breakfast in the morning.

* * *

Over the next two weeks the blue haired boy began spending more and more of his free time with the yellow-scarved boy. He was shocked at how dependent he had become on their friendship, as he was used to being the person everyone else relied on. However, he sensed that something had changed between the both of them and he started to feel hesitant about hanging out with him. He was positive that Ryoji had picked up on the fact that Minato was avoiding him, but he didn't bring it up. The more distance the persona-user put between himself and Ryoji, the more desperate he was to see the transfer student. The bond between them had ceased to feel like a normal social link by the time Ryoji arranged to meet him at the dorm after school.

When Minato arrived home, he felt exhausted and returned to his bedroom straight away, only to find the black haired boy waiting for him.

"There you are," Ryoji was lying on his back on Minato's bed, with a peaceful expression on his face. However, he turned troubled as he sat up to look at the blue haired boy. "Something's been bothering me lately," Minato silently closed the door behind him and moved further into the room.

"What is it?" he asked innocently, as he hung his blazer over the back of his chair, like he did everyday.

"The…feelings we get when we…like someone- you know, not being able to get them out of your head or wishing your time together was longer, etcetera…" Ryoji fiddled with the end of his scarf, making Minato even more nervous than he already was. "Well, I've been feeling all those things recently…"

"So you like someone?" the blue haired boy clarified in a neutral tone, leaning back against his desk. "Why don't you tell them?"

"That's what I'm doing…" the black haired boy got up slowly and crossed the room to stand in front of him; his breathing became thin as he watched Ryoji almost intently. "You won't laugh at me, or be angry with me, will you?" the blue haired boy shook his head as he continued to gaze up at the other boy.

"No…" he just about managed to say.

"This might sound strange, but it's you, Minato. I want to…be with you…"

"That doesn't sound strange to me," he said so quietly that Ryoji only just heard his words. The eyes of the boy with the swept-back hair, widened infinitesimally; he lifted a steady hand to rest at the nape of Minato's neck, prickling the hairs found there. Minato froze like a deer caught in the headlights, as Ryoji gradually moved so that the persona-user was trapped between him and the desk.

"But its more than that…when I'm with you, I feel whole again…like I'm hollow, empty without you…like I only exist when you're with me…" the yellow-scarved boy whispered, lips parted and eyes imploring Minato to understand what he was saying. Minato felt like his heart was beating dangerously fast in his chest, so fast that it would rip through the bone and tissue encasing it, for Ryoji to hold in his hands.

"Kiss me…" he breathed as if it were his dying wish, closing his eyes, blinded by the other boy's intensity. Without a moments delay, Ryoji's mouth was on his. It wasn't the kind of embrace Minato was expecting- hungry and uncontainable- it was velvet and gentle. It was the epitome of tranquillity, Minato thought, and that was what made it perfect. The blue haired boy opened his eyes as Ryoji pulled back, waiting impatiently for the taller boy to look at him. But instead, Ryoji leaned down and kissed him again- not that he was complaining.

"Kissing you is like suddenly breathing in oxygen, whilst locked in a gas chamber…" the transfer student murmured against Minato's lips; the latter curled his fingers around the straps of Ryoji's braces, pulling him closer still. The black haired boy wrapped his arms tightly around him, nuzzling the side of his neck and sighing contentedly.

* * *

Days of secret rendezvous' and sneaking in and out of the SEES dorm later, Ryoji and Minato lay in the latter's bed; the blue haired boy was lying on top of the black haired boy and drawing patterns around his beauty spot with his finger.

"Minato…?" Ryoji whispered softly, as he gazed up at the boy.

"Hmm…?" Minato smiled down at him sleepily, mentally willing himself to stay awake.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you've forgotten something, but you can't remember what it is you've forgotten?"

"Like amnesia?" the blue haired boy replied, trailing butterfly kisses along Ryoji's jaw.

"Amnesia? I never thought that could be it…" the transfer student murmured, fine eyebrows pulling together. "Maybe I do have amnesia…"

"That look just then…" Minato started, studying Ryoji's face for a minute.

"What look?"

"…You reminded me of someone…" Ryoji stroked up and down the blue haired boys back absently, as they looked at one another.

"Who?"

"I…don't know…" Minato sighed, shaking his head and kissing Ryoji on the nose. When the frown remained on the black haired boys face, the persona-user began kissing down his neck and over his collarbone.

"Minato…do you think we'll be together forever?" Ryoji asked quietly; the blue haired boy paused, raising his head to meet Ryoji's unwavering gaze.

"Why shouldn't we?" he returned with a delicate shrug.

"I mean, I know I want to be with you, but-"

"I love you." Minato interjected as if it were simply a factual statement, although he flushed bright red at Ryoji's reaction.

"You do?" the transfer student beamed, a blush of his own blooming on his cheeks; the blue haired boy nodded once, cupping the side of Ryoji's face with a hand.

"You feel the same, don't you?" Minato mumbled, hiding his face in Ryoji's shoulder; he felt the transfer student begin to play with his hair.

"I don't know what love is," Ryoji admitted in a sombre tone. "I only know that it is nice to be loved…at least, it should be…can you explain it to me?"

"I'm not sure I can explain it," Minato answered, voice muffled before turning his head so that his mouth was hovering at Ryoji's ear. "But the way I know for definite if I love someone, is if I can't stand the thought of them dying,"

"If you were to die…?" the black haired boy trailed off, inhaling and exhaling deeply. "It's…unthinkable…" Minato felt his heart skip, a small smile growing on his face. Propping himself up he pressed his lips to Ryoji's. The transfer student returned the pressure straight away, humming his gratitude. As their bodies became heated and their tongues fought each other more forcefully, the black haired boy rolled so that he was pinning Minato to the bed.

"Ryoji?!" the blue haired boy murmured breathlessly, as the person in question slid his hand inside Minato's boxers. "Aigis is outside!"

"What? Oh…we'll just have to be extra quiet then," the transfer student replied, sucking on Minato's earlobe, non-deterred.

"Ryoji!" the blue haired boy protested weakly, as the black haired boy started moving down his body and disappeared beneath the bed covers. The next thing he knew, Ryoji had yanked his under wear down and started running his tongue up and down his member, achingly slowly; Minato clamped a hand over his mouth in an attempt to smother his noises of pleasure. He quickly accepted the fact that he wasn't going to get much sleep that night.


End file.
